Berea College

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The People Ready Communities Leadership Program brings together community members who make a commitment to grow their leadership skills and complete a hands-on project that supports building a welcoming and inclusive community and a vibrant economy.

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President & CEO, Kentucky Association for Economic Development

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At the heart of creating a People Ready Community lies a question: “Is this community a good place for me to live?” The answer is a complex balance of community assets that also form a foundation for a strong local economy, from housing to schools, from health care to arts and culture, from broadband to social norms. Being People Ready means the community lives out a narrative that says yes to people from all walks of life.

Rural communities need to attract and retain workers to fuel our economies. People Ready Communities offer a quality of life that is welcoming to diverse workers and allows everyone to participate in the economy. Central Appalachia is well positioned to receive an influx of climate refugees and will see populations grow as the economy develops. We want to make sure the region is not just ready, but People Ready!

What does it mean to be "People Ready"?

<ul>
 	<li>Build capacity: The People Ready Communities program builds capacity for teams of cross-sector, established and emerging leaders to create communities that attract and welcome a diverse workforce, resulting in a prosperous economy for all.</li>
 	<li>Own the narrative: Becoming People Ready positions communities to express a narrative that attracts people who want to return home, people who want to relocate to a new home, and people who want to stay in the place they love. As a result, People Ready Communities are poised to attract businesses and workers.</li>
 	<li>Improve quality of life: Being People Ready means that leaders across sectors share a common vision for a community that is fair and supports a high quality of life for all people. More importantly, they are able to communicate and engage the broader community in visioning and working toward that desired future.</li>
 	<li>Support economic development: People Ready communities can answer questions about how they are ready to welcome the diverse workforce the Appalachian region needs to build and sustain prosperous economies that everyone deserves.</li>
</ul>

Program Objectives

Deepen your understanding of the connection between quality of life and economic development as you connect with other leaders who are working to create a community economic narrative that portrays welcoming places and innovative approaches to economic development.

Be prepared to learn, to create a vision, and to act! You will engage with a team of other community leaders to express a vision for a People Ready Community and then carry out a project to support that vision. You and your team will use what you learn in workshops to design the project, set a budget &amp; request a Seedling Grant, and carry out the activities in your community.

Your Role

The 2024 Cycle will run from March to October.

Meetings &amp; Trainings:
<ul>
 	<li>Orientation meeting in your county, March 2024</li>
 	<li>Opening workshop on the Berea College campus, March 20-22, 2024</li>
 	<li>2-3 online trainings to deepen your understanding of People Ready concepts</li>
 	<li>A mid-term workshop in your county, between June and August 2024 (4 to 6 hours)</li>
 	<li>Coaching calls throughout the program as needed</li>
 	<li>Closing workshop on the Berea College campus, October 18, 2024</li>
</ul>

Program Dates

Team members can plan to spend 1 to 2 hours per month meeting and 4 to 6 hours per month designing and implementing their community project.

Examples of previous community projects include:
<ul>
 	<li>Bell County, KY: A People Ready Business Designation and Directory</li>
 	<li>Clay County, KY: Introducing People Ready Concepts throughout the Community</li>
 	<li>Floyd County, KY: A “Why Floyd” Video Series</li>
 	<li>Perry County, KY: Supporting Businesses Owned by Diverse Entrepreneurs</li>
</ul>
[caption id="attachment_101815" align="alignnone" width="1024"]<img class="wp-image-101815 size-large" src="https://bereafaust.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/IMG_1177-1024x768.jpg" alt="group of people seated in a panel in front of a projector screen showing a presentation" width="1024" height="768" /> 2023 People Ready Communities participants from Clay County presenting on their project[/caption]

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Community Projects

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2023 People Ready Communities Participant

The People Ready Communities Program allows for active participation that is engaging and will make a difference in your community. For more information about the People Ready Communities Leadership Program, please contact Brushy Fork at 859-985-3858 or email&nbsp;<a href="mailto:brushyfork@berea.edu">brushyfork@berea.edu</a>.

This program is supported by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) with $320,000 (80%) in federal funds and $80,000 (20%) financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, ARC or the U.S. Government.